Attachable/detachable swimwear garment

ABSTRACT

The present invention is directed to an attachable/detachable swimwear garment having a garment piece that is both attachable and detachable to at least one other garment piece. The attachable/detachable swimwear garment includes a top garment piece and a bottom garment piece, both of which have garment attachment means. It is contemplated that the top attachment means of the top garment piece is attachably engageable to the bottom garment attachment means of the bottom garment piece to provide an attached garment having a desired style and function. It is further contemplated that the top attachment means is detachable from the bottom garment attachment means, to allow the top garment piece to be worn separately from the bottom garment piece. The invention allows the wearer of the garment to readily convert between garment configurations appropriate for swimming/bathing versus other activities, as well as easily transform the garment for modesty reasons.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to an article of clothing and more particularly, to a two-piece swimwear garment wherein one piece of the garment is attachable or detachable to a second piece of garment, the second piece of garment encompassing a variety of different clothing styles.

2. Related Art

A swimsuit, bathing suit or swimming costume is an item of clothing designed to be worn for swimming or sunbathing. Swimsuits can be skin-tight or loosely fitting and range from garments designed to preserve as much modesty as possible to garments designed to reveal as much of the body as possible without actual nudity. They are often lined with a fabric that prevents them from becoming transparent when wet. Female swimwear is well known and commonly comprises a one-piece bathing suit, bikini top and bottom, thong bikini bottoms, bodysuits, and/or a variety of other styles ranging in aesthetic appeal and functional characteristics. Swimwear is an important item of clothing that can serve a variety of functions such as protecting the skin from epidermis damaging ultra-violet radiation from the sun, added buoyancy in water, and warmth to name a few. Additionally, swimwear has aesthetic appeal as well as function such as swimwear that is form-fitting, slenderizing female swimwear, or padding for accentuating a particular area of the body.

Despite all the current swimwear that exists, there is absent in the marketplace swimwear for women that is attachable and detachable to form a variety of different clothing styles. Additionally, female swimwear should be highly adaptable to allow for easy switching between the fairly revealing swim wear that is typically desirable for swimming and bathing activities, to more modest or conservative clothing suitable for running errands and other everyday activities. Further, it is desirable to have women's swimwear accommodate both those women who may be self-conscious about their body image, insecure, or modest as well as those who prefer to wear swimwear that is more revealing. It is also desirable to provide swimwear that is readily adjustable to form different swim and bathing wear types, to allow for a variety of swim/bathing wear options from the same clothing article.

Accordingly, there exists a substantial need in the art for swimwear that is attachable or detachable to the top bikini portion of a swimwear garment that enables a person to choose between a variety of clothing styles that can be attached to or detached from the top bikini portion using a variety of different devices. There is likewise a need in the art for swimwear capable of being adapted into everyday wear and further capable of accommodating the spectrum of women seeking modest swimwear to women seeking a more revealing style of swimwear.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The present invention specifically addresses and alleviates the above-identified deficiencies in the art. In this regard, the present invention is directed to a swimwear garment having a garment piece that is both attachable and detachable to at least one other garment piece. The swimwear garment includes a top garment piece. The top garment piece also includes a top garment attachment means. The attachable and detachable swimwear garment further includes a bottom garment piece. Similar to the top garment piece, the bottom garment piece includes a bottom garment attachment means. It is contemplated that the top attachment means of the top garment piece is attachable to the bottom garment attachment means of the bottom garment piece. Additionally, it is further contemplated that the top attachment means of the top garment piece is detachable from the bottom garment attachment means of the bottom garment piece. An aspect of the present invention also contemplates the bottom attachment means of the bottom garment piece is attachable or detachable from the top garment attachment means of the top garment piece.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the attachable and detachable swimwear garment includes a variety of clothing styles. The following include some of the clothing styles contemplated: a shirt, tube top, dress, body suit, leotard and blouses to name a few. Furthermore, both the top garment piece and the bottom garment piece may comprise fabric of the woven or non-woven type.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the attachable and detachable swimwear garment includes a variety of different attachment means suitable to allow the top garment piece and bottom garment piece to be attached or detached from one another. An example of a few attachment means contemplated by the invention include but are not limited to zippers, a plurality of loops, a plurality of fasteners, and VELCRO®.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These as well as other features of the present invention will become more apparent upon reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an attachable/detachable swimwear garment having top and bottom attachable garment pieces and top and bottom attachment means comprising a plurality of loops.

FIG. 2 is a back view of the attachable/detachable swimwear garment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the attachable/detachable swimwear garment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of an attachable/detachable swimwear garment having attachment means comprising a plurality of straps having VELCRO® thereon.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of an attachable/detachable swimwear garment comprising a bikini top, decorative fabric, and attachment means comprising a plurality of loops.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an attachable/detachable swimwear garment that is attachably engageable to form a shirt.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of an attachable/detachable swimwear garment that is attachably engageable to form a tube top.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an attachable/detachable swimwear garment that is attachably engageable to form a bodysuit.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of an attachable/detachable swimwear garment that is attachably engageable to form a dress.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of an attachable/detachable swimwear garment having attachment means that comprises a zipper.

FIGS. 11-14 are cross-sectional views of embodiments of attachable/detachable swimwear garments having different styles and decoration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below is intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and sequences of steps for constructing and operating the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and sequences may be accomplished by different embodiments and that they are also intended to be encompassed within the scope of the invention.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an embodiment of an attachable/detachable swimwear garment 1 as contemplated by the present invention. The swimwear garment 1 comprises a top garment piece 2 that is preferably a swim or bathing suit top, such as swim tank top, tube top, halter top, bandeau and/or a bikini top 2 a. The swimwear garment 1 further comprises a bottom garment piece 4 that is attachably/detachably engageable to the top garment piece 2 via top and bottom garment attachment means 3,5. The top attachment means 3 of the top garment piece 2 is capable of being attachably engageable to the bottom garment attachment means 5 of the bottom garment piece 4 to form the combined garment 1 having a desired style, cut and/or appearance, such as a garment 1 having more body coverage than the top garment piece 2 alone would otherwise provide.

Further examples of garments 1 formed by the attachment of the top and bottom garment pieces 2,4 to one another are also shown in FIGS. 2-14. In one version, the bottom garment piece 4 is shaped to extend over at least a part or even all of the wearer's midriff and/or stomach. Such attached garments 1 can include a bottom garment piece 4 that is in the form of a shirt and/or blouse piece 4 a, tube top piece 4 b, and/or other shapes that can be attached to the top garment piece 2 to provide a garment in the shape of a shirt 23, tube top 24, blouse, and similar articles, as shown for example in FIGS. 6-7. The bottom garment piece 4 may also simply be a swim/bathing piece that extends coverage of an otherwise more revealing top garment swim/bathing piece 2, such as bikini top 2 a, to allow the wearer to easily switch between more and less revealing and more modest swimwear options. In another version, the bottom garment piece 4 comprises a shape that provides some coverage of lower body parts, such as coverage of the legs, when attached to the top garment piece 2. For example, the bottom garment piece 4 can be a piece in the general shape of a shorts and/or pants piece 4 c or skirt piece 4 d, to give an attached garment 1 having the overall shape of a body suit 22, a dress 21, a leotard, as well as other desired coverage configurations, as shown in FIGS. 8-9 and 11-14. Additionally and/or alternatively, the bottom garment piece 4 may be adapted for wear independently of the top garment piece 2.

The attachable/detachable swimwear garment 1 comprises top and bottom garment pieces 2,4 having fabric formed from one or more of a woven and non-woven material. Examples of suitable woven and non-woven fabrics include those formed from natural fibers such as cotton, silk, hemp and the like, and those formed from synthetic fibers, such as polyamide, polyester and polypropylene synthetic fibers and the like, as well as fabric formed from mixtures of both natural and synthetic fibers. Popular swim/bathing wear fabrics include, for example, nylon, SPANDEX® and LYCRA® fabrics. Such swim/bathing wear fabrics may be particularly suitable for construction of the top garment piece 2, although the top garment piece may also contain other materials not typically used for swim/bathing wear according to desired aesthetic and functional characteristics. The bottom garment piece 4 can be constructed of the same or different fabric as the top garment piece 2, such as for example a fabric that is suitable for swimming/bathing, and may also and/or alternatively be constructed of fabric that is more suitable for everyday activities. For example, the bottom garment piece may be constructed of either more durable materials and/or decorative materials that are typical of those used in everyday wear, such as denim, satin, silk and other fabrics.

As described above, the top and bottom garment pieces 2,4 are attached together and/or detached from one another via engagement and/or disengagement of the top and bottom garment attachment means 3,5. The top and bottom attachment means 3,5 together form a combined attachment means 10 that provides a mechanism to connect at least a portion of the top garment piece 2, such as a lower hem or lower edge 11 of the top garment piece 2, to a portion of the bottom garment piece 2, such as an upper hem or upper edge 12 of the bottom garment piece 14, to provide the resulting attached garment 1. The attachment means 3,5 preferably operate together to reliably and dependably hold the top and bottom garment pieces 2,4 together during normal wear, while also allowing for easy detachment and/or re-attachment of the top and bottom garment pieces 2,4 when desired. Examples of suitable combined attachment means 10 may incorporate various arrangements of loops, straps, zippers, VELCRO® and other fasteners to achieve the engagement of the pieces 2,4.

In one version, the top and bottom garment attachment means 3,5 combine together to form a combined attachment means 10 comprising a plurality of loops 7 that operate to attach the top and bottom garment pieces 2,4 to one another. The plurality of loops 7 can be configured to extend from each of the top and bottom garment pieces 2,4, and one or more straps 6 of material are threaded through the loops 7 to attachably engage the top and bottom garment pieces 2,4 together, as shown for example in FIGS. 1-3. The straps 6 can comprise a fabric or non-fabric material, such as the woven and/or non-woven materials described above, string, thread, cord, wire and the like. In the version shown in these figures, the top and bottom garment pieces 2,4 are held together by top garment attachment means 3 that comprises circumferentially spaced apart upper loops 7 a extending from a bottom hem 11 of the top garment piece 2, and bottom garment attachment means 5 that comprises circumferentially spaced apart lower loops 7 b that extend from an upper edge 12 of the bottom garment piece 4 in an alternating fashion with respect to the upper loops 7 a. Also in this version, the top and bottom attachment means 3,5 are held together by a strap 6 that is circumferentially threaded through both the upper and loops 7 a, 7 b and which can be tied at the wearer's back during use of the garment 1. To detach the bottom garment piece 4 from the top garment piece 2, the threaded strap 6 is simply removed from the loops 7 a,7 b, for example by untying the strap and pulling the strap out of the loops 7 a,7 b. The version of the attachment means 3,5 shown in FIGS. 1-3 provides the added advantage that the strap used to thread the loops 7 a,7 b can be tied together into one knot with other swim/bathing suit straps being used in the top and/or bottom garment pieces 2,4, which may improve the ease of use and enhance the aesthetic appeal of the garment 1.

While the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-3 demonstrates a desired version of the attachable/detachable garment 1, it should be understood that the loops 7 and threading strips can be arranged in a variety of different suitable configurations, according to the desired function and aesthetic style of the garment 1. For example, the number and spacing of the loops 7, as well as the loop and threading strip widths and lengths can all be selected to provide a desired garment look and style as well function. Also, while FIGS. 1-3 show loops 7 that are positioned primarily along a front side 13 of the garment 1, it should be understood that the loops 7 can also be placed along the back and sides of the garment 1. The threaded strap 6 can be tied at the back, front or side of the garment 1, and multiple straps 6 can also be threaded through the loops in different alternating orders/configurations. The loops 7 themselves can comprise a single hole 14 through which the strap 6 is threaded for engagement of the pieces 2,4, or alternatively the loops 7 can comprise “double” or “stacked” loops having two or more holes 14 that allow for the threading of multiple vertically spaced apart straps 6 through the same loop piece.

In yet another version, as show in FIG. 4, the top and bottom garment attachment means 3,5 include a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart straps 15 having a hook-and-loop or “burr” fastening material thereon, such as the material commercially available as VELCRO® or other similar hook-and-loop type grabbing material, that is capable of engaging the top and bottom garment pieces 2, 4 to one another. The VELCRO®-containing straps 15 can be configured to attach to each other, such that lower VELCRO® straps 15 b extending from the bottom garment piece 4 attach to upper VELCRO® straps 15 a extending from the top garment piece 2. Alternatively, the straps 15 can be configured to attach to a portion of the opposing garment piece itself, as shown in FIG. 4, such as a portion of the upper and lowers piece edges 11,12 having a complementary VELCRO® or other grabbing piece thereon. Similarly to the loops 7 described above, the VELCRO®-containing straps can be arranged in a variety of different attachment/detachment configurations, and comprise different lengths, widths and designs selected according to stylistic and/or functional criteria.

In still another version, as shown in FIGS. 10-11 the top and bottom attachment means 3,5 together comprise a combined attachment means 10 that is a zipper 8 capable of zipping the top and bottom garment pieces 2 and 4 together. The top and bottom attachment means 3,5 can comprise a top and bottom zipper portions 8 a,b that are sewn into, adhered or otherwise attached to the top and bottom garment pieces 2,4, such as at the garment piece edges 11,12. In this version, the top and bottom garment pieces 2,4 are detached from one another by simply unzipping zipper portions 8 a,b on the garment 1, and re-attachment is effected by zipping the portions 8 a,b together. The zipper 8 may at least partially encircle the garment 1, and can extend either substantially horizontally or optionally at an angle across the garment 1. The zipper 8 comprises any zipper type conventionally used in wearable articles, such as zippers having metal teeth and/or plastic zipper devices, and multiple zippers 8 can also be provided to attach the top and bottom garment pieces 2, 4 to give a desired stylistic effect. It is furthermore noted that the zipper 8 can be concealed by positioning the zipper 8 such that it is covered by fabric from one or more of the top and/or bottom garment piece 2,4, for example by “sandwiching” the top and/or bottom zipper portions 8 a,b between layers of fabric in the top garment piece 2.

FIG. 5 shows a detailed view of an embodiment of a detachable swim wear garment 1 having detachable top and bottom garment pieces 2 and combined attachment means 10 comprising a plurality of loops 7. The top and bottom garment pieces 2,4 each contain a layer of lining 16, padding 17 and decorative fabric 18. In this embodiment the top garment piece 2 comprises a bikini top 2 a having cups 19 and a supporting strip of material 20, and can optionally contain a bikini top underwire (not shown). The bottom garment piece 4 can comprise any of the bottom garment embodiments described above, such as a shirt piece 4 a, tube top piece 4 b, dress or skirt piece 4 d, or pant piece 4 c. The top and bottom attachment means 3,5 comprises a plurality of loops 7 through which a strap 6 is threaded to attachably engage the garment pieces 2, 4 to one another, and which strap is removed from the loops 7 to detach the garment pieces from one another. Alternatively, the top and bottom attachment means 3,5 can comprise a plastic zipper that is concealed by the top garment piece 2, such as by sandwiching the zipper between the layers in the top garment piece 2. The garment can also comprise a combination of different attachment means 3,5, such as a combination of zippers 8 and threaded loops 7 that operate to attachably engage the pieces 2,4 to one another. The lining, padding and decorative fabric layers 16,17,18 can be made of any of the woven and/or non-woven materials described above, and the lining and padding layers 17,18 may also be joined to incorporate embroidery.

The attachable/detachable swimwear garments 1 can be fabricated in a wide variety of different cuts, styles and fashions, according to the consumers preferred fashion style and desired use of the garment, as shown in FIGS. 6-9 and 11-14. FIGS. 6-7 show embodiments of attachable/detachable swimwear garments that are convertible into shirt, blouse and tank tops versions, as described above. FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment in which the bottom garment piece 4 and top garment piece 2 together form a dress, where the dress can have a variety of different lengths and cuts such as a pencil skirt, A-line skirt, tulip skirt, pleated skirt, and others. FIGS. 8 and 11-24 illustrate another embodiment in which the bottom garment piece 4 is attached to the top garment piece 2 to form a bodysuit 22 with a pant portion covering the legs. FIGS. 8 and 11-12 show embodiments in which a seam or other stylistic effect is added in the waist region to give the impression of separate shirt and pant pieces. A similar effect could also be achieved by using a different type or print of fabric in regions of the piece 4 that would typically correspond to the shirt region versus the pant regions, and such hem effects can also be used in skirt/dress embodiments of the garment 1. Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 13-14, the garment 1 may have a clean line without seams or other separating effects, thereby imparting a sleek and unitary appearance. The garment can also have stylistic effects and/or functional attributes typical of clothing used for swimwear as well as everyday activities. For example, FIGS. 8 and 11 show the addition of side pants pockets to the garment 1 which can be either functional or merely decorative. FIGS. 11 and 12 show embodiments of the garment 1 having decorative cuffs at the bottom of the pant piece legs. FIGS. 12 and 14 also show examples of decorative designs that can be added onto the garments, such as decorative seams or pieces of fabric as in FIG. 12, and a decorative patch in FIG. 4 which can be formed of fabric or alternatively could be a decorative cutout formed in the garment fabric. FIG. 12 further shows that the top garment piece 2 can be a bikini top 2 a of the bandeau type, where the piece 2 is held on the body by a strap or other piece of material that encircles the rib cage, and is absent any supporting straps that go over the shoulders and/or neck and that are found in many typical bikini top embodiments.

Accordingly, the above described invention allows for easy switching between garment embodiments suitable for swim and sun bathing activities and embodiments that may be more suitable every day activities such as running errands, etc. The wearer also benefits from the ability to readily convert between less and more modest garment embodiments, simply by attaching and or detaching the bottom garment piece. Thus, the contemplated garment gives the wearer enhanced flexibility in terms of clothing options, allowing the wearer to adjust the garment to an appropriate configuration for a variety of different situations.

Additional modifications and improvements of the present invention may also be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, the particular combination of components and steps described and illustrated herein is intended to represent only certain embodiments of the present invention, and is not intended to serve as limitations of alternative devices and methods within the spirit and scope of the invention. Along these lines, it should be understood that the detachable/attachable swimwear garment 1 may take any of a variety of swimwear garment forms that are known or later developed in the art, and further contemplates that existing or newly formed detachable/attachable swimwear garments should fall within the scope of the present invention. Also, it should be understood that a plurality of top and/or bottom garment pieces 2,4 could be provided to form garments 1 having a variety of different wear options, and a variety of different combined attachment means 10 can be used together and with other attachment means other than those specifically mentioned, such as buttons, snaps, and the like. 

1. An attachable/detachable swimwear garment comprising: a top garment piece, the top garment piece having a top garment attachment means; and a bottom garment piece, the bottom garment piece having a bottom garment attachment means; wherein the top attachment means of the top garment piece is attachably engageable to the bottom garment attachment means of the bottom garment piece.
 2. The attachable/detachable swimwear garment of claim 1 wherein the garment is attachably engageable to form a shirt.
 3. The attachable/detachable swimwear garment of claim 1 wherein the garment is attachably engageable to form a tube top.
 4. The attachable/detachable swimwear garment of claim 1 wherein the garment is attachably engageable to form a dress.
 5. The attachable/detachable swimwear garment of claim 1 wherein the garment is attachably engageable to form a body suit.
 6. The attachable/detachable swimwear garment of claim 1 comprising a woven fabric.
 7. The attachable/detachable swimwear garment of claim 1 comprising a non-woven fabric.
 8. The attachable/detachable swimwear garment of claim 1 wherein the top and the bottom garment attachment means comprise a zipper.
 9. The attachable/detachable swimwear garment of claim 1 wherein the top and the bottom garment attachment means comprise a plurality of loops.
 10. The attachable/detachable swimwear garment of claim 1 wherein the top and the bottom garment attachment means include a plurality of straps having a hook-and-loop grabbing material thereon. 